Ex-The Voice finalist who was sexually harassed by male managers as a young artist says the case of British teen who claims she was ‘gang-raped’ in Cyprus proves it’s still ‘not safe’ for victims to speak out
- Lloren, 29, whose real name is Lauren Bannon, made it to The Voice final in 2018
- Reveals she was sexually harassed as a young artist in the music industry
- Also discriminated against for sexuality and now only employs a female team
- Says case of Brit teen ‘raped’ in Cyprus proves not safe for victims to speak up
- Claims music industry still man’s world with people willing to take advantage
- Weymouth-born Lloren’s latest single Warriors is about putting ordeal ‘to bed’
A former The Voice finalist who was subjected to sexual harassment when she started out in the music industry has spoken in support of the British teenager who claims she was brutally gang raped in Cyprus.
Earlier this week the 19-year-old from Derbyshire, who was convicted of ‘making up’ the assault at the hands of 12 Israeli men aged between 16 and 19 at a hotel in Ayia Napa, spoke out about the harrowing assault.
She said the men attacked her ‘like a pack of wolves’, with one perpetrator pinning her down on a dirty bed while others lined up to take advantage of her.
The teen claims she was forced to sign a confession saying she made up the attack, that was dictated to her by a male police officer, before receiving her four-month suspended sentence. She has now filed an appeal to try to get her conviction overturned.
Former The Voice finalist Lloren, aka Lauren Bannon, who was subjected to sexual harassment when she started out in the music industry, has spoken in support of the British teenager who claims she was brutally gang raped in Cyprus. Pictured: Lloren performing at Pride London last year
Singer-songwriter Lloren, 29, whose real name is Lauren Bannon, was born in Weymouth and lives on the south coast of England with her wife Bex and is a strong advocate of gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
She made it to the finals of the ITV talent show in 2018 and was mentored by Olly Murs, whom she still keeps in touch with now.
Her latest single, Warriors, is about the sexual harassment and misconduct she experienced in the music industry as a young artist. She said the Cyprus case is an example of ‘why we still live in a world where we need to create safe environments for women to speak up’.
‘If this is what happens when women come forward, you can understand why so many choose to stay silent,’ Lloren told FEMAIL.
The young Briton should have been starting university but instead has been trapped on the holiday island where she insists she was raped and was coerced by investigators to retract her claim
There was singing and chanting from supporters outside the court where the hearing took place, who say the British teenager was betrayed by police and the legal system in Cyprus
‘I think it’s about education, and I think men need to educate other men on how to treat women with respect.
‘It’s not just enough for women to stand forward and say, “This has happened” – women need to be believed and taken seriously and other men need to be our allies and support us, and say, “OK, if I hear somebody thinking this way or acting this way I’m not going to advocate it.”‘
Lloren said she feels more needs to be done to raise awareness for young girls going into the music industry, after she and some of her friends were allegedly subjected to inappropriate behaviour at the hands of male execs.
‘A music career is the dream for some people and there are lots of people that are willing to exploit or take advantage of that; it’s still very much a man’s world,’ she said.
Lloren made it to the finals of the ITV talent show in 2018 and was mentored by Olly Murs (pictured together), whom she still keeps in touch with now
Lauren’s latest single, Warriors, is about the sexual harassment and misconduct she experienced in the music industry as a young artist. Pictured performing in The Voice Final in 2018
‘We are progressing and moving forward, obviously not quickly enough, but I hope that things change in the future.
‘The #MeToo movement, there are plenty of people that would laugh at it or might question it, but we still need it today.’
She said writing Warriors was about putting her ordeal ‘to bed’ and described the process as ‘cathartic’.
‘I didn’t speak out at the time, it’s something that I’m still not comfortable talking about,’ Lloren added.
‘Obviously everybody wants to talk about it when you write songs about stuff like this.
‘For me it’s something that I’ve moved on from. I wrote the song a long time ago and it’s about empowerment, and it certainly helped me. It was quite cathartic, and it’s something that I hope gives other women that sense of empowerment.
Lloren, who also writes songs for other artists in genres ranging from pop to rap, said she has also experienced discrimination in the music industry as a result of her sexuality
‘I know there are so many people that have had it worse off than me, but I want to write about stuff that’s real and is important to me.’
Lloren, who writes songs for other artists as well as herself, in genres ranging from pop to rap, said she has also experienced discrimination in the music industry as a result of her sexuality. She now surrounds herself with a female-only team.
She and wife Bex, a plumber, have been together for nine years and married for three.
‘I’m quite open with my sexuality, and I have experienced people who haven’t taken our relationship very seriously,’ Lloren admitted.
‘You get asked the usual, which is for threesomes and things like that, which obviously we’re not going to be interested in!
‘I’ve had inappropriate comments plenty of times. In this industry this just comes with being a queer woman.
Lauren and wife Bex, a plumber, pictured together, have been together for nine years and married for three
‘Pornography glamourises lesbian relationships as some kind of aspirational thing, where men can join in on the screen.’
After a busy year of gigs in Germany, playing to crowds of up to 10,000 people, Lloren is looking forward to her first headline show at the Waiting Room in Stoke Newington, London on February 5.
‘It’s a smaller capacity than I’m used to at just 100 people, but it’s homegrown and I’ll be able to see fans that I know, so it’s exciting,’ she said.
Lloren’s new single, More, is out tomorrow (January 31).
Timeline: Six month ordeal of British woman ‘raped’ by 12 Israelis
July 2019
The young woman from Derbyshire heads to Ayia Napa for a holiday before she is due to start university in September. She meets an Israeli footballer and they have a holiday romance.
Wednesday July 17 2019
The 19-year-old goes to the police and claims that she was pinned down and raped by up to 12 men, including her new lover, in the early hours of that morning.
These dozen men, aged between 15 and 22, are arrested and remanded in custody.
Thursday July 17
Five of the men are freed after police say there is no DNA evidence linking them to the alleged rape.
Saturday July 27
The teenager, who had been told to stay in Cyprus, was asked to give a statement to police. She says she is but is then subjected to eight hours of question – and a request for a lawyer is not agreed to.
She was then charged ‘giving a false statement over an imaginary offence’ after giving a written confession to detectives
Sunday July 28
The remaining seven Israeli men are released and rushed back to their home country
Tuesday July 30
The teenager appears in court and is remanded in custody having been formally charged with ‘public mischief’ – an offence for lying to police
Tuesday August 6
She then revokes her confession claiming she was coerced into giving it
Tuesday August 27
After five weeks in a Cyprus jail she is bailed. She cannot leave the island and must report in to police before her trial
Monday October 15
Her trial begins. The case is before a judge – not a jury as pressure grows in Cyprus and abroad for the case to be dismissed
Thursday December 12
The final judgment is delayed until December 30 – meaning she must spend Christmas on the island. Her mother says she has PTSD and is depressed
Monday December 30
Judge Michalis Papathanasiou finds her guilty based on the police evidence and her confession.
Tuesday January 7 2020
The judge said he was giving her a ‘second chance’ and suspended her prison sentence. Her lawyer Lewis Power QC said she will be returning home later on Tuesday but said her legal team would be challenging her conviction and were prepared to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Thursday January 16 2020
The teenager launches her appeal against her conviction. She vowed to continue her fight to clear her name, and lawyers said grounds for appeal against the public mischief conviction were submitted to the supreme court of Cyprus.
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